All curled up in a ball - the kits that were born all in a rush last week are doing fine.

Help! My 5 month old Jack Russell puppy still isn't housetrained.She's making messes everwhere and when I put her out she just stands and looks at me and then uses the kitchen as a toilet when she comes back in. I'm at my wits end, what can I do?

The first thing is - stop worrying. This is a common problem and quite easily solved. Your little J.R. is still a baby and has baby ways. She has to learn to understand you - very difficult when you're only a few months old, you've left your brothers and sistersand gone to a strange home (no matterhow nice it is)and you new momma is a different species.'Whatare theytalking about?What's wrong with going to the toilet when I want to?' She's doing something completely natural for a dog to do and what's all the fuss about.

Last week I noticed a cardboard box on the laneunder the hedge. Having an animal sanctuary means that you always have to investigateboxes - it might be jumble, newspapers, blankets or .......this one hada little tortoiseshell cat inside. She looked young, thin and had a heavily bulging tummy - obviously pregnant.I carried her inside, she looked stressed and hungry. Usually, when pregant cats are brought inthey settle down for a day or two, and then we set them up into a kittening room and then they give birth. But the tortie girl started mewing and crying and dashing into corners as soon asI let her out of the box. This was an emergency, not a moment to spare - the birth was imminent - she was going to have her kittens whether a birthing place was ready or not.

Dogs that bite

Dog attack!   It's usually front page news if a dog bites someone and there have been many ghastly and tragic cases.   Even if a dog has a quick nip at someone there's a shock, horror outcry.   No one wants to get bitten or for their pet to bite a child or adult.   Dogs are routinely destroyed if they bite anyone.   Yet, is it so surprising?    Have you ever looked in a dog's mouth?    Even at birth our canine friends have 28 little baby teeth and by 6 months of age these are replaced by 42 sharp, strong gnashers.    What is the genetic purpose of these canine incisors and molars?   Why are they so sharp and pointed?  Yes, our friendly pet was originally designed to be a killer.   He survived as a species because he was so good at hunting and catching his prey, which he then tore limb from limb and ate.   But he's a pet now and we don't want him to do that.   Is there a lingering vestige of aggression in every dog and if so, how do we get rid of it?